Electrostatic precipitator



Aug. 15-, 1950 E. 1.. RICHARDSON 2,518,999

I 1 ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1947 "2 INVENTIOR Ear/ .4. Elbhahfso'z 'zontally into the racks.

Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES Pars-m oF'Fi ELECTROSTATIC PREGIPITATOR Earl'LgRichards'on, Hyde Bark, Mass.,. assignor .to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, 'Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationAugust 30, 1947, SerialNo. 771,557

' .air with the chargedduSt-partiolesin passed into collector "chambers .'in which the dust-parholes are deposited upon oppositelycharged col lector. plates. Itis necessanyirom timesto time to-removethe ionizer .electrodesand "the collector electrodes for cleaning, servicing or replacement, and in the prior vconstruction-s this has zrequired considerabletime'and attention involving'the disconnecting of the various components.

A ieature of-thisinventionvislthatthe collector electrodes-are mountedin a-selft-.contained cell which isiadapted to-be tmechanicallygplugged into a cell mounting which maybe :adrack formed from structural steel channel members.

'Another feature (of '-the invention ithat 'ilhe ionizer electrodes are supported in-a self-contained assembly which is adapted to be @plugged into the mounting into which the associated collector cell is placed.

In oneembodiment zof the invention; collector cell supporting tubes-extend longitudinally from racks formed from vertically extending, structural columns, and the'endplates of :the collector cells are fitted into tubes whichslide around'the supporting tubes when the cells; are'moved hori assembly is :fitted with rods which slide into the tubes in the end plates ofthe collector cells when theionizer assembly is moved horizontally into the raclrs followingtheplacement oithe collector cells; Such a construction is relatively simple andinexpensive; is adapted 'formass production; permits quick and easy removal of individual collector cells; permits quick andeasy removal of individual ionizer assemblies; Iandiequires minimum, area in, the direction of flow o-flthegas to be cleaned. I v n An object of the inventionis .to simplify the construction of electrostatic ,precipitators,

Anotherobject oftheginvention is ,totfacilitate The ionizer electrode i the removal of ionizer electrode. assemblies: from electrostatic precipitators.

Another .object of the invention is .to facilitate the removalof collector electrode assembliesifrom electrostatic precipitators. 1 c

.Other objects of -:the :invention are to reduce v.thecost of, and the spacelrequired by, electrostatic precipitators.

The. invention willnow be described with reference to the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a partiallplan view. lookingdownwardly upon an electrostaticprecipitator embodying this invention, with thecollector cell-end plates, and

the supporting channel members shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the sup- ,p orting rackior the collectorcells and theiras- .sociated ionizer electrodes, vandshows one collector cell in position;

Fig. 3.is an-end elevation of the rack and-collector cell of Fig. 2;

Fig; 4 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of one of theionizer electrode assemblies, and illustrates one of itssupport rods in alignment with a supporting-tube carried by a collector cell end plate, and a supporting tube carried by a supporting rack channel member, and

Fig. 5 is an :enlarged, partial, projected View of one of the ionizer electrode assemblies. 1

The rack forthe electrostatic precipitatorillustrated, comprises the 'structural I-beam l0 and the structural channel 'member ll spaced from one side thereof. The -I-beam lll'a'ndthe channel .member ll form azrackefor one row of collector cells with their associated ionizer electrode -assemblies, Another channel member similar to .the member ll could be'spacedfromthe :other side of the I- beam lll for'providing therewith another rack for another IOWJOf "collectorcells and their associated ionizer electrode assemblies.

The collector cells 14; one of which is illustrated, comprise the end plates 4:3 having the flanged sides [6 with the tubes 1 5 extending there- :through. The grounded collector plates H are supported upon rods within the spacers 48, at-

tached at their ends to the end plates l3, and the insulated collector plates 18 are supported upon rods within the spacers 4i, attached at their ends to the electric insulators i9 which are attached tothebrackets 23. Therods supporting the grounded collector plates I I, and their spacers, pass through clearance holes in the insulated collector plates I8, and the rods supporting the insulated collector plates I8, and their spacers, pass through clearance openings in the grounded collector plates I! and in the end plates I3. This construction is disclosed in detail in my copending application, Serial No. 757,785, filed June 28, 1947.

The I-beam I and the channel member I I have the cylindrical tubes I2 extending longitudinally therefrom, and each end plate l3 of each collector cell I4, has extending through its flanged sides I6, a tube I having an inner diameter slightly larger than that of one of the tubes I2. The cells I4 are mounted in the rack by lining up its tubes I5 with the corresponding tubes I2 of the rack, and by pushing the cells inwardly so as to slide the tubes l5 over the corresponding tubes I2.

The rack illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3 shows one cell I4 in the uppermost cell row of the rack. The horizontal dashed lines illustrate the outlines of the spaces that may be occupied by three lower cells. The rack could, of course, have more or fewer rows of cells depending upon the height of collection chamber required.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a portion of another cell I4, extending to the right facing the drawing, of the I-beam II]. This cell would be supported in another rack similar to that described in the foregoing. As many such racks as the capacity of the collected chamber requires, may be provided.

The ionizer electrode assembly illustrated, comprises the spaced plates which are interconnected at their ends by the plates 2| and 22. Each plate 20 has the semi-circular openings 2% aligned with similar openings in the other plate 20, and has the semi-circular edges formed between the openings 24. The tubular ionizer electrodes 26 having the same diameters as the edges 25 are aligned therewith and extend between and interconnect the plates 20. The plates 20 adjacent the end plates 22 have the semicircular, tubular electrodes 21 extending therebetween with the curved edges 28 aligned with the electrodes 27. The bars 30 are supported by the tubular insulators M from the end electrodes 26, and have the arms 32 extending to the centers of the openings 24. The ionizer wires 33 are supported by the arms 32 midway between the tubular ionizer electrodes.

The plates 22 at the ends of the ionizer electrode assembly, have the rods 35 extending perpendicular thereto, and which have a slightly smaller diameter than that of the tubes I2. For

assembling the ionizer electrode assembly in the rack, the rods 35 are aligned with the corresponding tubes I2, and the assembly is pushed towards the rack so that the rods 35 slide into the tubes I2. The tubes I2 have portions which extend outwardly from the rack beyond the space occupied by the collector cell I4, and which by contacting the plates 22 of the ionizer electrode assembly, limit the movement of same towards the rack thus spacing the ionizer electrodes the correct distances from the collector electrodes.

Each collector cell has its individual ionizer electrode assembly, which can easily be removed from the rack by sliding it outwardly, following which the associated collector cell can easily be removed by sliding it outwardly from the rack.

The end plates I3 of the collector cell I4, which are grounded to the collector plates I1 and to the 'I-beam I0 and the channel members I are adapted to be connected to the negative terminal of a suitable, high voltage, direct current supply source; the insulated collector plates I8 are adapted to be connected to a terminal of the said source, which may be at a potential of +6,000 volts, and the ionizer wires 33 are adapted to be connected to a terminal of said source, which may be at a potential of +12,000 volts. The tubular ionizer electrodes are grounded through the rods 35 and the tubes I2 to the rack, and therefore are connected electrically to the negative terminal of the supply source. I

In operation, the dust and other foreign particles entrained in the gas passing between the ionizer electrodes, are given positive electrostatic charges which cause them to be attracted to and deposited upon the grounded collector plates as described in detail in said Penney patent.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus and arrangement of apparatus illustrated, as modifications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, without departure from the essence of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, a collector cell having end walls, and a plurality of supporting members extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto and supporting said cell, said walls having perpendicular extensions with openings therein through which said members extend.

2. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, a collector cell having end walls with flanged sides extending outwardly therefrom perpendicular thereto, and a plurality of supporting members extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto and supporting said cell, said flanged sides having openings therein through which said members extend.

3. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, a collector cell having end walls with flanged sides extending outwardly therefrom perpendicular thereto, a plurality of members extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto, and tubes extending between opposite of said flanged sides around said members.

4. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, an ionizer electrode supporting frame, members extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto for supporting said frame, and members on said frame slidably fitted to said members.

5. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, an ionizer electrode supporting frame, tubes extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto for supporting said frame, and members attached to said frame and slidably fitted into said tubes.

6. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a vertical supporting rack, a collector cell having end walls, members extending outwardly from said rack perpendicular thereto, said end walls having perpendicular extensions with openings therein through which said members extend, an ionizer electrode supporting frame, and members attached to said frame and slidably fitted into said first mentioned members.

7. An electrostatic precipitator as claimed in claim 6, in which the extensions of the walls are flanged sides, opposite of which have openings through which the first mentioned. members REFERENCES CITED extend. v 8. An electrostatic precipitator as claimed in The WiI references are of record in the claim 7, in which members extend between the file Of this P t: gingrgsalglesfianged sides around the first mentmned 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. An electrostatic precipitator as claimed in Number Name Date claim 6, in which the extensions of the walls are 1,297,378 McNear et a1 Mar. 18 1918 flanged sides, opposite of which have openings 2,380,992 Pegg et a1 Aug 1945 1 interconnected by members extending around H) the first mentioned members, and the ionizer electrode supporting frame has members attached thereto which fit slidably into the first mentioned members.

EARL L. RICHARDSON. 16 

